Dolphins get pounded by Ravens, ending six-game winning streak

The Miami Dolphins’ don’t have much margin for error if they want to make their first playoff berth since 2008 after getting hammered by Baltimore, 38-6, Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.

“It was just one of those days today, I guess,” wide receiver Jarvis Landry said in a resigned tone.

The Dolphins (7-5), who started the day occupying the final AFC playoff spot, had their six-game winning streak snapped, their longest such streak since 2005, and now might be forced to win their final four games to be in position for the playoffs.

The Dolphins, who were trying to achieve their first seven-game winning streak since 1985, are now on the outside of the AFC playoff picture with Denver (8-4) defeating Jacksonville, 20-10.

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw three interceptions, running back Jay Ajayi was held to 61 yards rushing on 12 carries, and the defense produced no sacks in a deflating day for the Dolphins.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, on the other hand, completed a franchise-record 36 passes and threw four touchdown passes.

The worst performance of the season came as the calendar turned to December and following a week of the Dolphins being in the final AFC playoff position. Was it just a perennially bad matchup for Miami resulting in an aberrant beatdown, or is this a beginning of yet another final-month swoon?

(Omar Kelly, Steve Svekis)

“We knew that they were a passing team,” linebacker Kiko Alonso said. “It was just a bad effort by the defense.”

The Dolphins host the Arizona Cardinals next week before hitting the road for back-to-back Saturday games at the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills before finishing at home against the New England Patriots in their regular-season finale.

It appears it’ll take at least 10 victories to get an AFC wild-card berth, and it might require 11.

The Dolphins didn’t come close to resembling a 10- or 11-win team Sunday.

But they were waiting for that team to make an appearance.

“It seems like every week we’ve had somebody make some kind of play that gets the avalanche going in the right way,” coach Adam Gase said. “We went the wrong way today.”

Flacco sliced and diced Miami’s defense, completing 36-of-47 passes for 381 yards, four touchdowns, one interception and a passer rating of 119.2.

Baltimore (7-5), which stayed in contention for an AFC North title, used a quick passing game to negate Miami’s pass rush. The Dolphins didn’t produce a sack for the first time in seven games, and the same was true for defensive end Cameron Wake, who had 7.5 sacks in the previous six games.

Ajayi, who rushed for 529 yards in the first three games of the six-game winning streak and 201 yards rushing in the last three, had the benefit of left guard Laremy Tunsil and left tackle Branden Albert , who were questionable during the week due to shoulder and wrist injuries. Ajayi ran hard but often had to break multiple tackles for menial gains.

The Dolphins got on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter, cutting their deficit to 24-6, one play after safety Michael Thomas recovered a fumble by Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta (nine receptions, 90 yards, two touchdowns).

Tannehill (29 of 40, 226 yards, one touchdown, three interceptions, 63.1 passer rating) hit wide receiver DeVante Parker, who was a surprise participant after missing practice all week with a back injury, on an 8-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion pass from Tannehill to wide Landry was stopped short.

The Dolphins got within sniffing distance of the end zone in the third quarter, trailing, 24-0, but Tannehill’s pass for Landry was behind him, tipped and then intercepted near the goal line by Pro Bowl safety Eric Weddle.

“I didn’t make good decisions,” Tannehill said of his three interceptions.

The Dolphins trailed, 24-0, at halftime and although things got slightly better in the second half the bottom line is its December, and in the past four-plus seasons, the Tannehill Era, the Dolphins are 9-12 in December games.

But they’re still focused on making their first playoff appearance since 2008.

“We have four games left,” Tannehill said. “Everything we want is still right in front of us. We just have to reset and correct our mistakes. We’ll be ready to go next week.”